


Walter Marshall Starts Dating Again

by lrose13



Category: Night Hunter (2018)
Genre: F/M, POV Walter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-03
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:35:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,057
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23454127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lrose13/pseuds/lrose13
Summary: Prompt: Walter Marshall back into the dating scene? Big and tough being all awkward because he's a softy on the inside and he really likes this woman but doesn't know how to act.
Relationships: Walter Marshall (Night Hunter)/Original Female Character
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Walter Marshall had been divorced for quite a few years now. It was his new normal. He hadn’t thought about dating since he dated his ex-wife. He had work and his daughter to focus on and dating felt like a distraction, especially after how terribly his marriage ended. So when Walter met Luna he was thrown off-kilter.

He’d met Luna when he went to a house-warming party for one of the other detectives in his unit. After the Stulls case and all the shit that happened at the station, Walter was putting more of an effort into not being such a cold bastard to the people he worked with. Part of that meant going to get drinks after work or going to housewarming parties. Normally, Walter would hate going to a party like this but he was comforted with the knowledge that a decent chunk of the guests would be people he knew from the station.

He pulled up to the neighborhood and found the house easily with all the cars parked out front. He got out of his truck and grabbed the bottle of wine he’d picked up on the way. Wine was a good house warming gift right? That was something his ex would’ve taken care of and considering he hadn’t gone to one of these since he’d gotten divorced he had absolutely no clue. Well, he thought, it’s better than nothing.

As he made his way to the house, he saw a young woman getting out of her car. He remarked at how beautiful she was - long dark hair tied into a braid, dark green eyes, and a face that radiated kindness. She wore jeans and a black t-shirt, a flannel shirt tied around her waist. He caught himself staring at her and shook his head, focusing back on getting to the party. As it so happened, she was headed the same way. She noticed him too and smiled, eyeing the bottle of wine in his hand she asked, “Hey there, are you going to Charlie and Marissa’s?” He nodded and tried to smile like a regular person but felt awkward and stilted.

“Oh great! Can I ask you something before you go in?” He nodded again, as he ran a hand over his beard. “Okay - so I’ve never been to one of these before - yes I know it’s silly that a grown woman has never been to one of these but whatever. I panicked and bought them a cutting board with knives. Like cheese knives? Does that sound really fucking stupid? Should I drive to the closest liquor store and just pick up the first bottle of wine I see instead?”

Marshall smiled at her, easily this time, and said “Truth be told, I’m not one for these sorts of parties either. My ex would usually get things so I just” he chuckled, “well I went to the closest liquor store and bought the first bottle of wine I saw. But I’m sure - cheese knives? - are a wonderful housewarming gift”. She took the gift bag out of her car and beamed at him, “Okay thanks so much. Oh! My name is Luna by the way - Luna Scott.” She reached a hand out to him and he shook it, noticing how small her hand was in his, “I’m Walter Marshall but people usually just call me Marshall.”

They walked into the party together and ended up hanging out together by virtue of being the only single people there. Marshall was glad he’d bumped into Luna - she was kind and funny and talkative in a way that allowed him to just listen and not have to add too much. As they hung out, Marshall eventually asked what she did for a living. He noticed a teeny bit of a wince and then her expression cleared, “Umm oh wait! You’re a cop! I forgot for a second - sorry - my job comes off sounding a bit dark and usually people with normal jobs are kinda put off. I work for a domestic violence hotline.” Marshall looked at her for a moment, confused at how she could appear so bright and work with that level of darkness.

They continued talking - mostly Luna talking and Marshall listening - while other officers from the station meandered about. Marshall learned that Luna was Marissa’s college roommate and they’d been close friends ever since, she was the youngest of 5 children and the only one to graduate from college and go on to get her master’s, and that the only thing that helped quiet her mind when things got to be too much was reading.

Marshall felt awkward around her, like he didn’t know how to talk properly. He hadn’t been this captivated by a woman since his ex. He liked that she could talk and not need him to say a lot. He liked that she was funny and goofy, along with clearly being intelligent and kind. He liked that she was quite emphatic with all that she said, all her emotions displayed openly on her face.

The party was still going but Luna had to leave, having to get ready for her next shift at work. Marshall conveniently had to leave as well so he could pick up his daughter for a father-daughter movie night. They walked out to their respective cars and Marshall shoved his hands in his pockets, “It was um quite nice meeting you Luna”. How could this tiny (in comparison to him) woman be so intimidating when he’d literally interrogated murderers before. He started wandering over to his car, feeling like a bumbling fool, and Luna called out to him.

“Hey Marshall - would you maybe want to get coffee with me sometime?”


	2. Coffee Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Walter meets up with Luna for a coffee date

Marshall sat at a table in the coffee shop with his back to the wall, fidgeting. He was not a man who fidgeted. He was a man who was confident in the things he did and how he did them and here he was fidgeting because he was waiting for Luna. ‘Christ’ he thought to himself ‘what is wrong with me’. He thought about ordering something but he’d wanted to get her coffee and he didn’t know how she liked it so he had to just sit. Sit in his awkwardness until she arrived. He looked around, nervously, waiting for Luna to come in. It’s not like this was necessarily a date. He didn’t really know what it was. He just knew that he liked talking to Luna and he jumped at the opportunity to see her again. When she’d asked to meet for coffee, he sputtered a reply of yes and they exchanged phone numbers. He’d been on edge for days, waiting to see her again.

He wasn’t sure about texting her because he wasn’t sure if this was a date. Could he just text a woman he’d just met out of the blue? He had wanted to reach out, see how her week was going. Was that creepy? He didn’t bother because he was so concerned she’d be creeped out by him. He felt weird, like he didn’t know how to be himself in this situation. He’d limited his social interaction to his daughter and his coworkers and occasionally his ex-wife when he had to. He racked his brain, trying to think how to be a person. A normal person who didn’t go after criminals and be in danger somewhat regularly.

When she came in, her face broke into a smile when her eyes landed on Marshall. She walked to where he sat, confidently and with purpose. He stood to greet her, remarking in his head how beautiful she was. He thought she was somehow much more beautiful than he remembered. When she reached him, she went to hug him. Marshall, not being the most physically affectionate person, was startled but happy to hold her for a short moment. With his face so close to her, he noticed she smelled like something floral he couldn’t identify. He tried not to let his mind linger on how her body felt pressed against his.

When the hug broke, Luna looked up at him and smiled, “It’s so nice to see you again.” Marshall nodded, running a hand through his hair, smiling at her. They both took their seats and Marshall looked at where he’d chosen to sit, “I hope this is okay. It’s kind of a habit of mine to keep my back against a wall. We can move if you-” She shook her head, “It’s just right, Walter. We can actually talk and have a little privacy over here.” He nodded and then said, “I wasn’t sure how you took your coffee - figured I’d wait for you”. Luna tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, “It was sweet of you to wait for me. Ummm could you just get me a coffee with cream and sugar. I don’t need it too fancy” she chuckled. He smiled and nodded, wandering over to the counter to order coffee for the both of them.

Returning with their coffees, Marshall placed Luna’s down in front of her as he sat and took a sip of his own. She took hers, held it in both of her hands and closed her eyes, breathed in deeply before she took a sip. Marshall just watched her, wondering what she was thinking. She smiled to herself after her first sip and then opened her eyes, finding Marshalls eyes on her. He looked away from her, cursing himself in his head for staring.“Thank you for the coffee. And for meeting up again… I just really enjoyed talking to you the other day.” He sipped his coffee and brought his eyes back to her, “I enjoyed talking to you too.”

Marshall’s phone vibrated and he looked at it for a moment, finding a message from his daughter about a movie she wanted to see when she was staying with him that weekend. He placed his phone on the table, not needing to answer the message right away. Luna saw the picture of his daughter he kept as his lock screen, “Who’s that?” She asked with a smile. Marshall looked back at his phone, a small smile on his face, “Oh, that’s my daughter, Faye.” He showed her his phone, letting her get a better look at the picture.

Luna looked at him and back to the phone, “She looks a lot like you, the dark hair and those eyes.” Marshall chuckled, “Thankfully, she looks more like her mum though.” Luna laughed, “How old is she? She looks like, what? Maybe thirteen?” He nodded, “She’s about to turn fourteen and I don’t know what to do with myself. Having a teenaged daughter is terrifying.”

Luna looked him over, “I can only imagine. How old are you then? If she’s about to be fourteen?” He ran a hand over his beard, thinking. “Well I’m thirty-six. Her mother and I got married when I was twenty-one and then she came along right before I turned twenty-three.” Luna nodded, drinking her coffee. Marshall added, “Then her mother and I got divorced when she was seven. It’s been a bit of a long road maintaining a good relationship with my ex to be able to keep my daughter in my life.” After it came out of his mouth he felt very very silly. Like he shouldn’t have mentioned it at all. If this wasn’t a date, it didn’t really matter if he was divorced and definitely didn’t matter how long he’d been divorced. But looking at her face, he didn’t see any hint of being uncomfortable, she just had a knowing look on her face.

“Yeah, divorce is tough enough. I can’t imagine what it’s like with a kiddo involved.” Marshall hmm’d to himself, then looked up with recognition, “Are you divorced then? Or just have a friend or someone who’s been through it?” Luna took another sip of her coffee, frowning slightly. “I am divorced. I got married when I was twenty-four and we got divorced when… hmm… I think I was twenty-eight when all the paperwork finally went through.” He nodded, feeling vaguely thankful that at least she understood somewhat where he was coming from. “How long have you been divorced, then?”

She smiled again, “I’m thirty-three now if that’s what you’re wondering. So about five years.” He nervously said, “I didn’t mean to-” and she cut him off, saying “Marshall, it’s okay. I asked you how old you were, you can ask me too. This is a date, isn’t it? We should probably know how old both of us are. Seems prudent.” He smirked, “I’m glad to hear you say this is a date, I wasn’t quite sure.”

“Well I mean… I’d like to be your friend as well but you’re awfully handsome. And I like listening you talk… when you decide to.” She giggled, and he thought it was the cutest sound he’d ever heard, “So I’d like for this to be a date. If you feel the same, anyway.” Marshall smiled, this time wide enough that she could see his teeth. Marshall ran a hand through his hair, “I uh… it’s been a while since I’ve been on a date so don’t mind my awkwardness.” Luna looked him over, “I don’t think you’ve been awkward at all. But I do believe we’ve got some first date questions to get out of the way.” Marshall’s eyebrows went up, vaguely confused. Luna continued, “Well I already know what you do for work, so why did you decide to get a job in law enforcement?”

Marshall shifted in his seat, “Well it depends on what part of my job you’re talking about. I um… well I started out as a cop because I enjoyed helping people and keeping people safe. Then I moved on to working on SWAT because it was better pay and silly enough it was a bit more exciting.” He smirked to himself, thinking of being so young and wild enough to think SWAT was fun. “My um… well my ex hated that I was on SWAT so eventually I came off that and worked my way to being a detective. I decided to work with the Special Victims Unit because when I was a cop I’d seen a lot of awful things and I wanted to do more. Especially with the young women I’d seen being taken advantage of. I’ve been on that unit for about eight years now.”

Considering the way most people responded to what he did for a living, Marshall waited for an awkward ‘oh wow’ to come from Luna but she surprised him. “Thank you for choosing to do that kind of work. There aren’t enough of those kind of units and definitely not enough cops who want to work with survivors in that way. That’s really amazing of you, Walter.” He sipped his coffee, somewhat uncomfortable with the praise. “What about you? Why choose the hotline work? It seems like a pretty rigorous job.”

Luna leaned her head to the side a bit, “I have a rigorous job? Coming from someone who deals with murderers. That’s funny.” Marshall felt like he’d somehow offended her and opened his mouth to apologize but Luna cut him off, “I um… I didn’t always do this kind of work. I used to be a waitress. I did that while I was in college and for a bit after while I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do. My ex-husband didn’t seem to want me to have a career but he was comfortable with me having a part time job. He wasn’t exactly the best man in the world. A lot led up to me divorcing him. And after that I went back to school for my masters in Social Work. I knew I liked helping people. I found out about the hotline while I was in school and it just clicked. Felt like this was my opportunity to help people get out of situations similar to my own.”

Without saying it outright, Marshall understood what Luna wanted him to know, that she’d dealt with abuse in some form with her ex. He didn’t want to ask, didn’t want to make her feel like she had to tell him anything else. He just looked at her in amazement. “I’m wondering… how exactly do you do that work and seem so… happy?” She snorted at that, shaking her head, “Happiness is a funny thing, Walter. I go to therapy regularly. I put a lot of energy into taking care of myself. I only keep people in my life if they’re good to me. I learned a lot from a shitty situation and I’ve learned that it’s best to maintain some form of positivity or this life will crush you. And I have worked really really hard to keep my work at work and let my personal life be separate from that.”

Marshall nodded, thinking to himself he’d found company with quite a rare woman. “I do find though that my current situation, my job and the responsibilities, give me little free time and could make it a bit hard to date.” She looked to him, seeming a bit nervous “if that’s what you’re looking for, anyway.” He nodded, “I’d um… well I’d just like to spend more time with you. Whatever that is - if it’s dating or just getting coffee from time to time. I think I’d be happy just getting to get to know you.” He finished his coffee, putting the cup back on the table and said, “I just um… find you quite soothing to be around. If that makes any sense.”

He was asking for so little yet he felt like he was asking for so much, with all that she’d shared with him. “My um… my job clearly doesn’t favor dating - at least for me. I work a lot. I work weekends a lot of the time and when I don’t, I’m usually taking time to be with my daughter, if her mum lets me. I’d just be happy with little bits of time like this - if you can spare them?” He watched as a blush slowly crept across her cheeks.

“I think I’d really like that, Walter.”


	3. A *Date* Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna and Marshall go on a real date. Luna tells Marshall about her ex, why they finally got divorced

Marshall and Luna met up about once a week after their initial coffee date. Whether that be a quick lunch at work or coffee in the shop they’d had their first date or a walk in the park near Luna’s apartment. They found spare moments here and there, just to see one another. Marshall enjoyed any time he got to spend with Luna, even just quick phone calls while one of them was driving home from work. It had been weeks of this - spare moments here and there - but it was enough.

One day, a random Tuesday that they actually both had off, Marshall decided he wanted to take Luna on a proper date. He’d texted her in the morning. 

**Marshall** : What’ve you got planned for today?

**Luna** : I’ve got today off so I didn’t plan anything at all. I might go to a bookstore if I decide it’s worth it to get out of my PJs

**Marshall:** Would meeting up with me be worth getting out of your PJs for?

**Luna** : I’d be happy to get out of my PJs for you

**Luna:** Sorry that sounded worse than I meant it! Gimme a time and place, Walter.

Marshall smiled to himself as he looked over his phone. He could practically picture the face she’d made when she realized what he could’ve thought she meant and frantically sending another text. To be fair, Marshall would be delighted to get Luna out of her PJs, but considering they hadn’t even kissed yet that was quite a jump.

He asked her to spend the afternoon and evening with him. He was worried it may be too much but she jumped at the offer. He got ready in his apartment, pulling on jeans and a dark blue sweater that Luna had complimented once. He looked in his bathroom mirror. He looked a bit like a ragamuffin. His hair was wildly curly, a bit all over the place. His eyes had dark shadows underneath from the all-nighters he’d pulled at work. His beard was a bit all over the place as well. He looked to his sink and found a beard oil his daughter had given him for Christmas, encouraging him to take better care of himself. He put some on, thankful that it smelled decent and that it actually smoothed his beard down a bit. 

Marshall had opted for picking Luna up, feeling it was the proper date kind of thing to do. He got to her apartment building and found her unit quickly. He knocked on the door and heard Luna shout “Just one minute!” He stood with his hands in his pockets, leaning against the wall across from her door. 

When the door opened, concern washed over Marshall. Luna stood there with eyes looking like she’d recently cried and wasn’t quite dressed to leave her apartment. She looked at him, surprised, and then recognition crossed her face. “Fuck, Walter I’m really sorry. I just um... I got caught up in some stuff. I’ll be ready in just a few minutes. Come in, you can wait in here.” Marshall followed her into her apartment, and shutting the door behind him asked quietly, “Luna is everything alright? Do you want to do this another time?” 

Luna turned back to him and a few tears slipped down her cheeks. Marshall, not knowing what else to do, walked toward her gently and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his chest and he rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, “Shh shh it’s okay, Luna. It’s okay, you’re alright.” 

For what felt like quite a long time, Marshall just stood there holding her. He didn’t say much, other than the occasional “It’s okay” whispered into her hair. He wanted to know what was hurting her so much, wanted to relieve the pain she was feeling. He could feel her, slowly but surely calming down as her breathing slowed and the tears stopped. He pulled away for a moment, to look at her face. “Luna, what’s happened?” 

She took a slow, shaky breath and chewed her lip, “My ex happened.” Marshall felt like his hackles went up, wondering what her ex could have to do with this breakdown. Marshall’s eyebrows rose in concern and Luna said, “It’s been five years but he’s apparently still under the impression that I am his property. He called a bit ago. Told me he couldn’t believe I would cheat on him. Told me he hoped I knew what a…” her eyes fell to the floor, “what a slut he thought I was.” Then she looked at him and covered her face, “And now you’re probably wondering why you started sharing your time with a crazy woman.” 

Marshall was feeling several emotions brewing in him - one of which being rage. They’d not even done anything anyone could consider remotely romantic, and her ex was calling her a slut. And her ex was keeping tabs on her which Marshall immediately started thinking of all the ways he could utilize his badge to fuck this guy up. Another emotion he felt was sorrow - wishing he knew how to ease the pain Luna was feeling right now. 

He pulled her hands from her face, gently. He made her look in his eyes, cupping her face in his hands. “Luna, I am so so incredibly sorry he’s done this. He’s an absolute prick. And I, for one, am so happy to spend my time with you.” She smiled at that and he kept going, “Luna, I don’t expect anything from you or this friendship. I enjoy being around you. Whatever that means for you. I’d be happy to help you get a restraining order too. But if it would be easier for you, for me to not come around, I understand.”

Luna wrapped her arms around Marshall’s neck and held onto him. Marshall wasn’t sure exactly what she needed, so he just held her for as long as she wanted to be held. She pulled back and looked at him, “Walter Marshall, I like you. I like you a lot. This is the first time I’ve dated since my divorce. So I’m not sure how to do this anymore. But I do know that I like you. And I also know that I would really like to get out of my apartment and go do whatever it is you had planned for today.” He nodded at her, smiling, and she continued “So you are going to sit on my couch and I am going to go get changed and we can start from there - okay?” He nodded again, finding a seat on the couch.

Once Luna was all ready, they headed out to his truck. He looked over at her, once inside the truck “I um... figured we could do a few things. And if at any point it’s too much or you’re uncomfortable just let me know and I’ll bring you right home.” She smiled, “Walter. I want this afternoon with you. It started off with a bit of a bump but I’m sure I’ll-” he cut her off, “Luna, just promise you’ll let me know if it’s too much okay? I want you to know you’re safe with me.” A blush spread across her cheeks as she admitted, “I know that I’m safe with you, Walter.”

________________________________________

The rest of the day, Marshall was intent upon making sure Luna was enjoying herself. He wanted to keep her mind off of her ex and what a piece of trash he was. Marshall knew he was imposing both in his physical size but also his demeanor. He didn’t want for Luna to see him that way but with the way she was giggling throughout the day, he hoped she saw something else in him.

On their date, they went to a few different places, one of which was a bookstore because Luna had mentioned wanting to go to one that day. Thankfully, Marshall knew one that he’d often take his daughter to. He told Luna, “It’s either this or the movies for Faye, she doesn’t seem to want to do much else.” Luna smiled at him, “I like your daughter more and more with everything you tell me about her.” 

Luna wandered the aisles and Marshall just followed after her, enjoying how her face lit up when she found something interesting. He had worried this was a bad idea, not exciting enough or planned out. Luna squashed that fear when, in the back of the store, she hugged him and said, “This means more than you know, Walter.”. He held her for a moment, not saying anything and just breathing her in. She pulled away and kissed his cheek, leaving him to marvel at the softness of her lips against his skin.

The day continued on, Marshall brought Luna to the park so they could sit and chat, they went to their favorite coffee spot, and finally made their way to dinner. The restaurant wasn’t fancy but it was comfortable and had good food and Marshall was pretty sure that was all Luna cared about. They sat and ate, a comfortable silence washing over them. 

After finishing dinner, Marshall said, “You ready to go home, Luna?” and she hmm’d and after looking at him with an expression he couldn’t quite read she said yes. They made their way back to her apartment. Like a gentleman, Marshall walked her to her door to make sure she got in safely. As she opened the door to her apartment, she asked, “Would you want to stay for a bit? Have a coffee or something?” Marshall wanted whatever Luna was willing to give him, not wanting this night to end quite yet, so he said yes. 

They made their way inside, Marshall finding a seat on the couch while Luna made coffee for the both of them. Bringing the coffees over, she sat next to him. Luna, after sipping her coffee, asked, “Walter… why haven’t you tried to kiss me yet?” He was somewhat startled with the question, feeling the awkwardness seeping into his bones. “I just didn’t want to push... or make you uncomfortable”. She smiled at him, “We’ve been seeing each other for weeks, now. Do you want to kiss me?” Marshall raked a hand through his hair, “I mean of course I’ve wanted to kiss you I just -” and with that, Luna cut him off, pressing her lips against his.

Marshall’s hands found their way into Luna’s hair, holding her to him. It had been quite a while since he had kissed someone but he felt in his gut that Luna would help him find his way back to it. The kiss was tender and vaguely desperate. Marshall pulled back for a moment, smiling like a fool, and found Luna staring at him with pupils blown wide. He pressed his forehead against hers and softly said, “I’ve wondered how it would feel to kiss you since the day we met.” 

Now that they had taken that step, it was easier. They sat and talked and kissed for what felt like a very long time. One moment they’d be talking and laughing, the next they’d be pressed against one another. Marshall reveled in the feeling of Luna is his hands, her lips against his. He wanted to take great care while kissing her, making sure she understood still that she would be safe with him. He let her guide how far things went and how quickly they went there. 

Without knowing how they’d gotten there, Marshall found Luna straddling him with her hands in his hair. He felt like a teenager, desperate to feel more of her against him. For a moment, he pulled back to look at her. Her hair was mussed, her lips a bit swollen and red, and a blush spread across her cheeks. He smiled at her, thinking in amazement that somehow she was even more beautiful.

**Author's Note:**

> I really enjoyed writing this so it will most likely have multiple parts!


End file.
